"The Babadook" Explores Grief and Slow Scares

In a genre filled with quick cuts and constant jump scares, The Babadook offers the exact opposite. Focusing on a grieving widow who is struggling to raise her son alone after the loss of her husband, The Babadook gives a more sincere and heartfelt look into the horror genre than most other films. In fact, one might even say that it offers love and empathy and is straining to comfort its viewers despite the horrific themes and occurrences which take place in its one hour and thirty-five minute runtime. Of course, that isn't to say that the film isn't absolutely terrifying in the instances that it needs to be, while viewers watch the son and mother duo screech and dodge attacks from the terrifying Babadook, a twitching eerie tophat wearing monster lifted from the pages of a horrific children's book which has decided to latch on to and torture this particular family.

The film is decent, and I'll admit that the main reason I am so attached to it and adore it so much is due in part to a personal connection with the theme of grief and the fact that this film is oddly therapeutic for me in its portrayal and understanding of the pain that accompanies the loss of a loved one. Bearing that in mind, this film is hardly without flaw, and the child actor who has a rather prominent role in the film can at times be rather obnoxious. Unfortunately, this is a frequent issue with films when children play a prominent role, because child actors tend to be a rather flimsy variable who are prone to cringe-inducing line delivery and an inability to convincingly display the emotions they need to show. However, the actress who plays the mother at least manages to pull her own weight and make up for the lackluster performance of her younger costar.

Some have complained that the film's metaphor is rather flimsy, and while I am inclined to agree because it is extremely easy to see through the film's intentions there are instances where I have spoken with viewers who were completely unaware of the depth behind the film's plot and scares, specifically the notion that the Babadook leaves you alone once you acknowledge it (not unlike the fact that grief is something which wanes and fades after the person finally allows herself to fully experience it). This review is spoiler free, as all my other reviews are, and I will not elaborate further on the metaphor within the film for fear of divulging information that would impact viewers further if they actually viewed the movie.

Metaphors aside, the film is solid. Even without the depth behind its plot it holds up as a solid modern horror movie and it particularly emphasizes a usage of slow and creeping scares, such as shots of the Babadook slowly crawling out of a closet and taking his sweet time creeping toward our mother and son duo. I find that after seeing so many jump scares this new form of slow creeping toward the camera induces a fantastic desperate sensation of panic which cannot be obtained in other manners, as the viewer is forced to watch helplessly and hope that something, anything, stops the monster in his path. This new scare alone makes the Babadook a memorable horror experience, particularly when combined with its haunting soundtrack and beautiful use of cinematography.

I highly recommend you seek out and watch The Babadook as soon as possible. It is currently available on Netflix and any other streaming service you may have.